Electric railway.



No. 651,343. Patan tbdlllina I2, moo.

T. P. CHANDLER. Y

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Application filed Mar. 10, 1900.)

dkHes? UNITED STATES PATENT CFEICE.

THEOPHILUS PARSONS CHANDLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

'SIPEOiFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,343, dated tune'12, 1900.

Application filed March 10,1900. Serial No. 83118. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS PARsoNs CHANDLER, of the city and countyof Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented anImprovement in Electric Railways, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has reference to electric railways; and it consists ofcertain improvements, which are fully set forth in the followingspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a partthereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a suitable construction ofsupply-conductors whereby the positive and negative conductors may besuspended from supports at great distance apart, and yet maintained atequal distances apart throughout their length, and thereby secure aproper maintenance of electric contact with the collectors or trolleys.

My invention is equally applicable to those systems in which the car orcage is suspended from one of the conductors and where the weight of thevehicle or car is sustained upon the ground or upon a railway built uponthe ground and the suspended conductors alone used as working lines tosupply electricity to the car or vehicle.

In carrying out my invention I suspend a strong cable or wire uponsuitable supports separated at great distances apart, and from thiscable or wire I suspend a lighter cable or wire by means of suitablehangers or ties. The two cables or wires are insulated from each other,and one supplies current of one polarity and the other current of theopposite polarity. The positive and negative collectors run or move incontact with the respective cables or Wires and by suitable conductorssupply the electricity so collected to the motor or motors upon themoving vehicle. By suspending the lighter conductor from the heavyconductor or cable in this manner it is possible to hold it parallelthereto and in proper lateral alinement, so that the collectors may beapproximately maintained at a fixed distance apart and yet maintainelectric contact at all times. To insure the lower conductorcablehanging properly below the supporting-cable, I provide the upper ends ofthe suspension connectors or ties with a jaw of such shape that while itforms a firm hold upon the cable it may always permit the cable to twistor turn without disturbing the vertical alinement of the suspension ortie rods. This simplifies the putting up of the cables and obviates thedifficulties which would frequently arise where the ties were fixedtightly to the cable from which they hung.

My invention is furthermore readily adapted to existing cable-lineswhere trolleys are employed to convey heavy burdens under the action ofgravity. By simply applying my improved light insulated conductor to theheavy trolley-cable the load may be taken down by gravity and thetrolley returned under the application of electric power.

My invention will be better understood by reference to theaccompanying'drawings, in which+ Figure 1 is an elevation of an electricrailway embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of same. Figs.3 and 4 are crosssections of modified forms of the means of attachmentof the several parts together, and Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of theinsulators for the lower cable or conductor.

A are posts or means of support located in practice at great distancesapart. Under some conditions these supports are one-half mile apart-as,for instance, where the cables are stretched down the sides of mountainsor steep hillsides.

B is the main cable or that which carries the greatest weight.

D is the collector-cable and is suspended from the cable B at intervalsin its'length by the ties E, which are of uniform length. By thisconstruction it is evident that the two cables B and D will be parallelto each other and in the same vertical plane. They will always maintainthis parallelism irrespective of any swinging or vibration of the maincable. This construction also obviates any difficult labor in suspendingthe cable D, since all parts may be made in the shop and simply boltedin place in erecting the work. By having the two cables parallelit iseasy to maintain electrical contact of the two collector-wheels, andthis simplifies the general construction of the collector as a whole.

In Fig. 3 the heavy cable B is built up of wire strands and has attachedto it the suspension or tie cables G. These may be leaded in sockets g,which are loosely bolted in the clamp F. The clamp F is formed of twoparts having the upwardly-curved clamping-jaws, which when placedtogether and fastened by bolt f constitute a clamp which extends aroundthe bottom and sides of the cable B to somewhat above its center, asshown. The jawF thus formed leaves the upper part of the cable exposed,so as to form no obstruction to the trolley-wheel and is free to rotateupon the cable 13, so as to permit the cable to twist under strainwithout disturbing the perpendicular alinement of the suspension cablesE. The lower ends of the cables G are connected with the insulators II,which are of the umbrella type, but preferably with the drain-grooves71. 7t, to cause the water in rainstorms to run off to one side andreduce the liability of short-circuiting theline. If desired, theinsulator may be of the ordinary bonnet type and arranged in anyposition on the suspension cable or wire. It is also evident that bothinsulators indicated in Fig. 4 may be used on the same construction as adouble precaution against short-circuiting. In this figure the tie orsuspension cables E are shown as of a light red or wire and directlyfastened at the bottom to the insulator II and at the top to the clampF, which is hung upon the main or working cable A.

The main cable B is supported upon the posts A by suitable brackets C,while the conductor or electric cable D has no necessity for a directconnection with the posts A. Of course it is evident that it may be alsoattached to the posts, if so desired; but as it is suspended from themain cable A at short intervals such additional suspension would beneedless. By this construction the posts A may be a very great distanceapart, as the heavy cable B will be sufficiently strong to sustain notonly its own weight and load, but the weight of the cable D also. InFigs. 1 and 2 I have shown a trolley I, having the groovedsupporting-wheel J, running upon the cable ]3,and a flexibly-supportedcollectorwheel K, running against the under side of the cable or Wire D.M is an electric motor geared to the main wheel J to propel the trolley.The wheel J supplies current of one polarity to one terminal of themotor and the wheel K supplies current of the opposite polarity to theother terminal of the motor. The collector-wheel is spring-pressedagainst the conductor D by a spring i, acting upon a hinged arm L, towhich the wheel K is journaled. A switch-lever N may be automaticallyoperated toclose the motor-circuit when a level or upgrade is reachedand opened when a downgrade is to be traveled over.

While I have shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the suspension-cable E as having thetie part G formed, respectively, of a cable and a rod, in Fig. 2 I haveshown this part as made of a chain, and I therefore do not limit myselfto either of these modifications. I would also point out that for lightservice the jaws F I do not limit myself thereto, as the trolley 0structure proper maybe simply used as a collector for anelectricallypropelled vehicle running upon the surface in any of thewellknown ways. In cases where the distance apart of thesupporting-posts A is not great, the cable B may be made smaller, andwhere cables only act as conductors and to support a smaller trolley asa collector they may be made quite light and, if desired, both formed ofsingle wires. It is to be understood that in the use of my invention forlight work, as in mail or store service, the sizes of the conductors orcables and the distance apart may be much smaller than where heavyloadsare to be carried. In some cases the electricallypropelled trolley orcarriage is to be adapted for carrying passengers as well as freight.

While I prefer the construction shown, I do not limit myself to thedetails thereof, as they may be modified without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a relative1y-heavy electric conductor or cablesuspended at long intervals by supports, with a light conductor arrangedparallel to the heavy conductor or cable and connecting flexiblesuspension dcvices for supporting the light conductor directly from theheavy conductor at short intervals and loosely attached to the heavyconductor whereby it may rotate, and insulators fixedly attached to thelight conductor and jointed to the flexible suspension devices.

2. The combination of the heavy upper conductor, the lower parallellighter conductor, and a series of insulated flexible connectionsbetween the two cables arranged at intervals in its length, saidconnections consisting of an upper clamping-jaw formed of two partsbolted together and having upwardly-directed and inwardly-curved taperedends extending part way over the upper conductor so as to expose itsupper part and turn thereon, a flexible support depending from saidclamps and an insulated connection with the lower conductor.

3. The combination of a relatively-heavy electric conductor or cablesuspended atlong intervals by supports, witha light conductor arrangedparallel to the heavy conductor or cable, and connecting insulatingsuspension devices for supporting the light conductor directly from theheavy conductor at short intervals, consisting of a short length of tiein the form of a cable, rod, chain or their equivalent, having at thetop a detachable clamp adapted to grasp the heavy conductor but withfreedom for rotation thereon, and at the bottom means for attachment tothe light condnctor.

4. The combination of an upper conductor supported at long intervalsfrom the ground, a lower parallel cable, and a series of connectinginsulating devices between the two condoctors at close intervalsforholdin g the lower cable parallel to the upper cable, each consistingof a jaw loosely attached to the upper conductor with freedom ofrotation thereon, and a depending portion having means for insulatingthe lower conductor from the upper conductor.

5. The combination of the upper conductor, a lower conductor and aseries of suspension devices of uniform length each consisting of aflexible part G, a loose clamping-jaw connecting with the upperconductor and free to rotate thereon, and an insulator connectionbetween the flexible part G and the lower con-' ductor.

In testimony of which invention 1 have hereunto set my hand.

I THEOPHILUS PARSONS CHANDLER; WVitnesses:

R. M. HUNTER, R. M. KELLY.

